HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) - On Thursday, former NFL star Michael Vick spoke on Alabama A&M’s campus, sharing his stories about critical decisions in his life, including his prison time for dog fighting.

Vick said he wasn’t ready to be the quarterback of an NFL team when he came out of college and often surrounded himself with the wrong people.

He said his time in prison brought him closer to God and clarified what he wanted to do with his life.

He says he hopes the hundreds who attended his speech take away the massage that being a positive influence for those that need it is a must.

“Second chances mean everything to me, man. People who stood at the forefront, who allowed me to be put in that space, they deserve all the credit. I was just a guy who needed them at a critical time in my life,” said Vick.

He says one of the key things he does every day to be successful is read.